Four years on liberation, women in Raqqa remake history of city

 Four years ago, the world witnessed one of the greatest events in modern history;  It is the liberation of Raqqa, the capital of the so-called caliphate of ISIS,  a nightmare that terrified the entire world.

 ISIS mercenaries had turned their alleged capital and all the areas they occupied into a large prison for women;  They eliminated all the possibilities of community life. Everyone, without exception, turned into soldiers or slaves to serve these soldiers, until the Syrian Democratic Forces liberated the city on October 17, 2017, following fierce battles that lasted 166 days.  The forces fired the last bullet in the coffin of ISIS and announced this great victory for the entire world on October 20, 2017.

After this historical event, women began to breathe a sigh of relief again, but in a different way this time.  Giant efforts in various fields and the establishment of women's institutions concerned with women's affairs, and played a leading role in the women's liberation struggle waged by women in northeastern Syria.

 On this occasion, our agency met with women who assumed official political and administrative responsibilities and tasks, to assess the extent of the development at the level of women's struggle in Raqqa after liberation.

 The democratic nation made women transcend the black cloud

 The deputy of the Future Syria Party branch in the city of Raqqa, Zulekha Abdi, began her speech by praising the martyrs of the fighters of the Syrian Democratic Forces who sacrificed their pure blood in response to the call of the people of Raqqa to liberate them from ISIS mercenaries.

 She said: "On this occasion, we extend our highest congratulations to the families of our martyrs and ttheirsons and daughters  and to everyone who contributed to the liberation of the city of Raqqa. Peace be upon the souls who sacrificed themselves to this region and to all the women who always strive to achieve justice and equality."

 Pointing out that the liberation of the city of Raqqa came thanks to the democratic nation project, which made women transcend the black cloud, and be in the front lines of organizing and maintaining society, "because it is a legitimate right and a duty that falls on us women in the city of Raqqa."

real revolution

 Referring in the context of her speech to the efforts of women to build their own institutions, she added: "Everyone viewed them as weak and unable to do anything, but the most important thing for us is that we must bear the responsibility for this liberation - which came as a real revolution -  It is our responsibility to prove our existence to the world.”

 Abdi indicated that after certain institutions for women were founded. Raqqa, Kurdish, Circassian and Armenian women work side by side. " InInstitutions embraced all components of the region."

 In this regard, she continued, "There is a revolution within every woman who has suffered from oppression and injustice.  We, women have made a revolution with steadfastness."

 She added: The liberation of the city of Raqqa came to wake up from that deep sleep during the past years, and we realize the existence and reality of women's ability to build their own associations and women's organizations outside the framework of administrative work, that is, within civil society organizations;  It calls for empowering them, and will not accept that their role be formal and marginal.”

Heading to policy

 Referring to the role of women at the political level, Zulekha Abdi said: "The Future Syria Party led by activist and politician Hevrin Khalaf, pushed women to manage political action and analyze the current political situation within the Syrian geography.”

 She added, "There are international forces that were fascinated by the role of women after four years of liberation in the political parties, and this trend came out of their belief in their capabilities."

 Zulekha Abdi stressed that "any society will not be able to develop without women because its liberation is based on their existence," describing the development of women after liberation as "a great development."

 She pointed out that the co-chair of the Raqqa Civil Council, Laila Mustafa, received the International Mayor of the World Award, and said: "Her work culminated in this award," stressing that the experience that women had with the Autonomous Administration is a real one, especially for the Raqqa woman."

'The democratic nation's experience was conveyed to international forums'

 Zulekha Abdi confirmed that women were able to reach international forums to talk about the crimes committed by ISIS, and about the outcome of their struggle for the past four years, as women were able to reap the fruits of the sacrifices they made.

 Zulekha Abdi concluded her speech by saying: "This in itself is an achievement and a gain for the Raqqa woman. Here, they had a very big role to express the great difference in the development of women every year from the other."

 'The liberation gave birth to the spirit of resistance'

 For her part, the head of the Women's Commission for North and East Syria, Jihan Khadro, touched on the representation of women in North and East Syria, and said: "In order for women to achieve their freedom, we have faced many difficulties and to this day, but that has not affected us."

 She indicated that women took the vanguard role in bodies, councils and organizations and contributed to changing some of the well-established concepts in society about women's freedom.

 Jihan Khadro explained that "the liberation of the city of Raqqa was achieved through the struggle and revolution of the woman, who had a popular and international aspect that was exported to the whole world and had a strong impact on the liberation struggles of many other societies, because the liberation of the regions of northeastern Syria in general and the city of Raqqa in particular gave birth to a spirit of revenge and perseverance in front of  The enemy. That is why we, as women, had to resist and confront the enemy,” referring to the women’s resistance in the occupied Syrian regions, particularly Serê Kaniyê, Girê Spî and Afrin.

'We started with revolution and we will end with victory'

 Jihan Khadro also noted in her speech that "women in our areas have become a role model, and we will be, as we were, remaining committed to working until reaching all women in the areas to rehabilitate them again so that they can take a more and more influential place in the complexes."

 She added, "For four years, we have been working with all our energies and capabilities to rehabilitate women and prepare them politically, socially and culturally to build a free moral society, because we started with the revolution and with resistance and will, we will win."

 The head of the Women's Authority in the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria, Jihan Khadro, concluded her speech by saying: "The liberation of the city of Raqqa is a victory for all Syrian women, and as we hope that security and peace will come to all the occupied areas of Afrin, Ras al-Ain and Tal Abyad, because our blood united in this land and its water,  And let us be one hand on this day for our future and the future of our people and our children.”

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 ANHA